Can a newborn sleep on his stomach?

With the birth of a baby, the whole habitual way of life changes, everything is rebuilt and adapted to the needs of a new family member. Young parents have many questions regarding the health, development, and safety of the child. Moms and dads learn a huge amount of new information, learn to live by the new rules, observe basic safety rules. And one of the pressing issues is the admissibility of a newborn’s sleep in the abdomen.

Why do children like to sleep on their stomach

It is difficult to understand about the addictions of a little man, if he does not speak yet. But caring mothers notice that some babies sleep especially long and hard if they are placed on their tummy. What is the reason for such addictions and why this position is useful during sleep, let's try to figure it out.

The main reason for such a baby sleep is a habit. That is, the child bumps into bed, bends legs and arms, taking the pose of the embryo - so the baby slept in his mother’s tummy, in this position he is comfortable and calm, he feels safe. It is very important when the child’s face is buried in bed, with pleasant and familiar smells, tactile sensations give a sense of security.

When the baby lies on his stomach, he does not move his legs and arms, which at first after birth are not obeyed at all. That is, the risk of sudden fear and awakening is reduced. When the baby moves less and does not frighten himself, he sleeps much stronger, wakes up rested and in a good mood, does not act up for no reason.

Lying on your stomach is very useful for the development of the cervical and lumbar spine. It has long been noticed that children who often sleep on their stomachs begin to hold their heads earlier, crawl better, etc.

Frequent laying on the stomach contributes to the development of neurological skills of the baby. In addition, the constant location of the legs in the open state is an excellent prevention of hip dysplasia. If the baby sleeps only on his back, and on a hard surface, this is fraught with deformation of the bones of the skull.

When the baby sleeps on his stomach, a soft massage is provided for his joints, bones, muscles and tendons. The direct contact of the tummy with the bed provides a soft and warm massage that protects the baby from gas and colic. In addition, in the position on the abdomen with bent knees, the passage of gases is facilitated, which is so necessary for babies in the first months of life.

Another benefit of sleeping on your stomach is a reduced risk of swallowing vomit. Young children often burp, and if at this time the baby is lying on his back, he will not be able to get rid of the curd mass, it can get into the respiratory tract, this is very dangerous. Therefore, it is very important after a meal to hold the baby for a while so that the child burps, this greatly reduces the risk of regurgitation.

In the summer, when the child often lies on his back in a stroller or infant carrier, sweating may appear on the back of his neck and on the back. When the baby lies on his stomach, the skin on the back is well ventilated, air baths contribute to the rapid healing of the rash.

That is why doctors, namely pediatricians, neurologists and orthopedists, often recommend laying babies in their first months of life on their tummy. But none of them says that the child should sleep in this position, because it can be dangerous.

Why is it dangerous to sleep on my stomach?

Parents may be confronted with a concept such as sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).This is a medical term that characterizes the death of a healthy child of the first year of life for unknown reasons. Many studies of scientists from different countries have identified a group of factors that may become a risk for SIDS. One of the main factors is sleep on the stomach. The cause of death in this case is a banal lack of air. That is, the child lies on his stomach, his nose can be buried in a pillow, blanket or diaper, the nasal passages are very narrow and easily covered with a cloth. The most dangerous thing is that the baby is too small, he can not turn his head to the side to get rid of suffocation. Therefore, sleeping on your stomach without adult supervision is very, very dangerous. Even studies were conducted according to which pediatricians began to recommend not to put children to sleep on their stomach, after which mortality from SIDS decreased by 2-3 times.

Can a newborn sleep on his stomach

There is no definite answer to this question, since on the one hand, sleeping on your stomach is very useful, and on the other, it is not completely safe. To begin with, babies of the first months of life who are still unable to turn and hold their heads should sleep on their stomach. You can lay the baby on the tummy while awake, you can leave him to sleep on his stomach, if the baby turned his head to the side and you ALWAYS are nearby and monitor his position. In this case, sleeping on the stomach is perfectly acceptable. But at night, when parents are sleeping, it is better to put the crumbs on a barrel. If you lay the baby on his back, be sure to turn the head to the side so that the baby does not choke if it suddenly burps.

Under what conditions can you sleep on your stomach

If your baby sleeps restlessly on his back, constantly twitches, gets scared, starts and cries, it is permissible to put him to sleep on his stomach, but for this you need to strictly observe the following conditions.

The room should be cool enough, 18-23 degrees, no more. Hot air causes the mucous membrane to dry in the throat and nose, and the airways narrow. In summer, try to sleep with the windows open, but avoid drafts. In winter, be sure to ventilate the room before going to bed. In addition, in winter, when heating radiators are especially intense, you need to install a humidifier, it is necessary for children in their first years of life.

A child should not sleep on his stomach if he has various disorders of the central nervous system or birth injury.
You should always be near, and if the baby turns his head so that his face is buried in bed, you need to turn his head to the side.

You can not put the baby to sleep on his stomach if he is sick, has a cold and his nasal passages are clogged with mucus. By the way, even in a healthy child, the nose can become blocked if the air in the room is dry and hot, crusts form in the nose. Before going to bed, they should be soaked with saline and carefully removed with a cotton swab so that nothing would interfere with the baby's quiet sleep.

There should not be any foreign objects in the bed, especially near the child’s face - blankets, diapers, toys, and especially pillows. In general, a pillow for a newborn child is not needed and even dangerous, as it can be the reason for the incorrect formation of the spinal column and cervical spine. In no case do not put the baby to sleep on the pillow, it will be needed only after a year, and then if the baby himself wants it.

The mattress should be smooth, preferably orthopedic, it is very difficult to bury and suffocate on such a mattress. The risk of SIDS is increased if the mattress is soft, crooked and loose, it is much more difficult to release the baby’s nose on such a mattress.

You can leave your baby sleeping soundly on his stomach if he is already more than four months old. At this age, children calmly turn over and even more so can raise their heads and turn them for a more comfortable position. As a rule, after 4-5 months, the children themselves decide in which position they are comfortable sleeping.

If the baby is very small, can not sleep on his stomach, but you are not able to constantly be around, just swaddle the baby. In a kind of cocoon, the baby will feel safe, as in the womb, sleep will become more calm.

As the pediatricians say, it is most useful and safest for the baby to sleep on his side. This reduces the risk of SIDS, swallowing vomit, on the side of the baby calmly and comfortably. Be sure to shift the child to the right and left side to avoid torticollis and deformation of the hip joints. To prevent the child from rolling onto the back or tummy, rollers from diapers or towels can be placed on both sides. Remember that the safety and comfort of the child is only in your hands!

Video: the correct position of the newborn during sleep